Is the funds industry on the verge of giving transfer agents new respect especially as these entities adjust to digital transformation and digital assets, which serve as gateways to global expansion? This is one of the arguments in a new white paper “Thinking Local, Winning Global: Transfer Agency as a Strategic Advantage,” from SS&C Technologies,… Read More >>
Trump’s SEC May Be Less Aggressive On Fines
(The Trump team is moving fast to get its cabinet nominees in order and Paul Atkins, a former SEC commissioner under President George W. Bush, has been tapped to head the SEC. If Atkins wins the approval of the U.S. Senate, he will succeed Gary Gensler who steps down on Inauguration Day. FTF News asked… Read More >>
NatWest Blocks Staff Usage of WhatsApp, Skype & Messenger
Like many firms, NatWest Group is tightening controls on the communication channels that staff members can use via corporate devices. Earlier this month, the firm blocked the usage of WhatsApp, Skype, and Facebook Messenger because they lack a way to retrieve records, a situation that impedes regulatory compliance. The pushback on problematic communication apps and… Read More >>
FBI Thwarts Attempt to Bomb NYSE
A bombing outside the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) building at 11 Wall Street in Manhattan was thwarted by an undercover operation led by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) who arrested Harun Abdul-Malik Yener and charged him with attempting to build explosives that would kill as many as possible to “reboot” the… Read More >>
ACA Group Acquires FINOP Consulting
Governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) solutions provider ACA Group hopes to bolster the FINRA and SEC compliance services it offers to broker-dealers via the acquisition of FINOP Consulting, an outsourcer for broker-dealers, officials say. Officials declined to provide the financial terms of the acquisition. FINOP Consulting offers financial operations services “that ensure a broker-dealer’s financial… Read More >>
A Glimpse at Gary Gensler’s Legacy
With the second Trump administration coming to power in January, Gary Gensler, chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), is unlikely to be a part of the new team. During the campaign, Trump stated that he would replace Gensler. In fact, multiple media outlets have recently reported that Trump’s transition team is searching for a replacement… Read More >>
SEC Revises ‘Living Wills’ for Clearinghouses
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is revising the “living will” for covered clearing agencies (CCAs) through rule amendments and a new rule —approved late last month — all intended to boost the resilience, recovery, and wind-down planning for CCAs, officials say. “CCAs are registered clearing agencies that act as central counterparties, meaning that they… Read More >>
T+1 Paves the Way for Modernized Settlement
(In North America, the move to shorter T+1 settlement has helped BNY clients to refocus on the lifecycle of a trade in new ways as they strive for optimal clearing and settlement. So says Brian Ruane in a Q&A with FTF News. A member of BNY’s Executive Committee, Ruane is senior executive vice president and… Read More >>
E.U. Regulators Push the Accelerator for T+1
The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), the European Commission (EC), and the European Central Bank (ECB) put out a joint statement this week indicating support for a coordinated T+1 transition with other jurisdictions in the region including the U.K. and Switzerland. Despite the complex E.U. post-trade landscape, the regulatory trio stressed the urgency of… Read More >>
ESG Data, A.I. & DLT Top IT Agendas
Despite controversy and predictions of its death, principled investments based upon environmental, social, and governance (ESG) concerns are alive and kicking as evidenced by growing demands for ESG data. Also very much alive are artificial intelligence (A.I.) technologies, which could prove to be cost-effective for automated compliance and regulatory reporting, and for middle- and back-office… Read More >>
